Cigarette package



Sept. 19, 1933. J LANG 1,927,408

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 18. 1952 2 Sheetis-Sheet 1 Sept. 19, 1933. LANG 1,927,408

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette packages and has for an object to provide a frangible pocket at the top and narrow side of the package through which a single cigarette may be extracted at a time, while the remaining contents of the package are confined in the original shape in the package.

A further object is to provide a flap and notch near the uppercorner of the outside Cellophane or light water proof wrapper, in close proximity to the pocket, which will provide a means of reaching the pocket and at the same time will remove practically only so much of the moisture proof wrapper as to uncover the pocket.

A further object is to provide a novel and useful device of the above described character which may be used for advertising purposes to lend distinctiveness to the package so equipped.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved 0 cigarette package,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the cellophane flap removed to expose the pocket opener tab,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the pocket opener tab being detached to open the pocket and expose the cigarettes for removal one at a time,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the tab entirely detached,

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the pocket open to permit removal of a single cigarette,

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the folded condition of the pocket opener tab just prior to sealing the basic package,

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a plan view partly broken away and showing the pocket opener tab applied,

Figure 9 is a detail section taken on the line 99 of Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a plan view of the paper cover of the package and showing the cut out pocket notch.

Cigarettes are usually rolled by machinery and then pass to another machine which takes twenty cigarettes 5 and wraps them in the usual standard package. The usual completed package is made up of an inside wrapper paper, a sheet of tin-foil, a paper cover upon which the name, printed matter, and decorations are shown, and an outside moisture proof wrapper made of Cellophane or similar material. The inside wrapper paper 10, see Figure 7, and the tin-foil 11 outside, are prepared and together are coiled around a drum attached to or located in close proximity to the wrapping machine and the combined paper passes from this drum into the wrapping machine in which the two sheets are at one time wrapped around twenty cigarettes, and immediately following or simultaneously, the package is wra'pped in the succeeding paper cover 12 which carries the name of the brand, and the printed matter, and the Government stamp 13 is "placed on this inner or basic package as it will hereinafter be termed.

The various sheets are folded at the ends to provide closure flaps 6, '7, 8 and 9. The edges of the two long flaps 6 and 7 form V-shaped guide lines 21 over the underlying flap 8 and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide means for tearing the underlying flap 8 ofi along these two guide lines to form an opening through which only one cigarette at a time may be removed while the two flaps 6 and-7 hold the remainder against escape until all the cigarettes are used. 85

The basic package is then wrapped with the moisture proof Cellophane or similar outside wrapper 14 by another machine.

The ordinary way of opening cigarette packages usually tears all or so much of the top of the basic package that it allows more than one cigarette to be extracted at a time and allows cigarettes and loose tobacco to fall out thereby damaging the cigarette and the pocket of the clothing in which they are carried. Also the usual manner of removing the outside moisture proof wrapper tears it all, or so much of it is torn ofi that the moisture and air proof qualities are destroyed.

In order to provide a pocket of such dimension that only one cigarette at a time may be extracted and also to permit of the pocket being formed while retaining nearly all of the Cellophane outside wrapper intact, it will be seen by referring to Figure 1 that the Cellophane wrapper 14 is folded in the usual way. On one narrow side of the wrapper there exists a pasted seam 15 which is of standard construction with the exception'that-the material at the top of the seam extends beyond the seam and provides a flap 18 which is left unpasted, while the material at the top of the seam is provided with a notch 1'7 to start or guide the process of tearing-off the flap 16 to expose the pocket opener tab. This flap may be constructed as illustrated or if desired may bejolded back along the line of the pasted seam 15.

The pocket in the basic package is formed by providing the printed outside paper wrapper 12 with a half circular notch 17 of. the same width as one ofthe narrow sides of the package, gas shown best in Figures 7 and 10, and this operation may be performed before the paper enters the folding machine.

The inside paper wrapper 10 together with the tin-foil 11 is provided with a pocket opener device or puller 18, which is folded and one side pasted to the inside of the inner paper wrapper 10 and the other side pasted to the outside tin-foil wrapper 11, as best shown in Figures '1, 8 and 9.-

The puller or pocket opener tab is then folded back at the top to provide a flap 19. The inside paper wrapper 11 is weakened around the edge of the tab by a line 20 of indentations, perforations, or crease under machine pressure, as shown in Figure 8. e

The pocket opener tab 18 is formed of thin, strong, flexible paper, tape or cloth and is pasted, gummed or glued securely to the inner paper wrapper 10 and tin-foil wrapper 11 so as to hold tenaciously and at the same time allow the puller to remain flexible and thus permit of a slight rolling operation when starting the pull on flap 19 thereof. The object of the weakening of the inside paper wrapper at 20, as above described, is obviously to guide the tearing of the paper and tin-foil around the secured edge of the opener so that the pocket when open will be uniform in all cases. The attached end of the pocket opener tab is rounded to conform to the curvature of the half circular notch 1"! formed in the outside paper wrapper for the purpose of promoting this uniforn ity-in outline of the pocket in the narrow side of the basic package.

It is preferable that both operations of cutting the half circular notch 17 in the printed outside paper wrapper and the attaching of the pocket opener tab to the two inside paper and tin-foil wrappers, be done by machinery before and independent of the existing standard wrapping machine, or it may be done by a simple improvement on the present wrapping machine.

The wrapping and folding of the basic package equipped with the pocket opener tab and notch 1'7 as well as the weakening line of perforations 20 may be performed in the usual manner, it being observed, by referring to Figure 6, that when the operation of folding the end flaps 8 and 9 of the package is completed the pocket opener tab will be folded compactly inside of the flaps 6 and '7 when folded down, as shown in Figure 1, while all that is' visible is the cellophane flap 16 which indicates the distinctive type of cigarette package provided by this invention, and the pocket opener tab 18 may, of course, be colored, tinted, or provided with attractive advertising matter to further promote distinctiveness.

Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, show the various steps of opening the package. To open the package hold the package in the left hand and with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand grasp the flap 16, shown in Figure 1, and pull across to the right and up to the corner along the dotted line indicated at 20, and direct the tear along the converging V-shaped edges 21 of the folded flaps 6and'7. Thiswillmakeanopen'inginthetop approximately the size of the pocket in the basic package, as shown in Figure 2, and permit the major part of the moisture repellent outer wrapper to remain intact, as shown also in Figure 2.

Now grasp the pocket opener flap 19 with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, hold the package with the left hand, and start with a slow pull making slight right and left movements until the flap 8 of the inner and outer paper and tin-foil wrappers underlying the folded end flaps 6 and '7 of the package, is disengaged or torn loose. Then with a twisting action tear along the line of perforations 20, as shown in Figure 3. When starting the pull hold the thumb of the left hand,- with a slight pressure at the point marked "A", best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

By the above operation a substantially triangular portion of the wrapper is torn off, first along the V-shaped guide lines 21 and then along the arcuate line 20, which provides a pocket opening, shown best in Figure 4, through which only one cigarette may be removed ata time, while the rest of the package, including all of its several wrappings, remains intact and keeps the contents in good condition until empty.

The pocket opener tab is preferably formed as illustrated and described, but similar results can be obtained by a ribbon or string formed in a 1100p or by other desired modifications of the The flap 16 of the "Cellophane wrapper may be constructed as illustrated and described, or may be made separate from the "Cellophane wrapper, it being simply essential that the flap be no left unpasted and preferably that a notch be provided on the flap or in the "Cellophane wrapper for the purpose of easily starting and guiding the tear.

Having thus described the invention it is thought that the operation and construction thereof may be fully understood without further explanation.

.What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette package formed of a plurality of sheets folded to provide closure flaps lapped upon each other with the end edges of two of the, flaps formingV-shaped guide lines over the underlying flap, said sheets being provided with a cut out curved notch in one narrow side of thepackage juxtaposed to said guide lines, and means carried by said underlying flap adapted to tear off said flap along said guide lines and expose said notch and provide a V-shaped opening in the top of the package, said cigarettes being adapted to be removed singly through said opening and said notch while said two flaps and said narrow sideretain the remainder in compact form.

2. A cigarette package formed of a plurality of 135 sheets folded to provide closure flaps lapped upon each other with the end edges of two of the flaps forming V-shaped guide lines over the underlying flap, there being a notch formed in one of the sheets on one narrow side of the package contiguous to said guide lines, a tab folded upon itself upon said underlying flap and adapted to tear said underlying flap along said uide lines and to tear the remainder of said 5 sheets along said notch whereby to simultaneously form a V-shaped opening at the top of the package and a curved opening on said narrow side of the package for removing the cigarettes singly while the remainder are held compact in shape, and a t moisture repellent outside wrapper having a frangible flap to expose said notch and located outside of said notch.

3. A cigarette package formed of a plurality of sheets of tin-foil, paper and a transparent material folded upon each other to provide lapped closure flaps with the end edges of two of the flaps forming V-shaped guide lines over the underlying'flap, a cut out curved notch in the paper sheet having a triangular portion disposed in said underlying flap underneath said guide lines with a curved portion extending upon the contiguous narrow side wall of the package, and a tab of similar shape to said opening carried by said tin-foil sheet and folded upon itself underneath said two flaps, said tab being adapted to be withdrawn for tearing ofl saidv tin-foil sheet to expose said opening and permit the cigarettes being removed only one at a time while the remainder are held in compact bulk form by said two flaps.

4. A cigarette package formed of a plurality of sheets of tin-foil, paper and transparent material, ail of said sheets being inoverlying relation and folded upon each other to provide closure flaps, a cut out curved notch in the sheet, and a tab straddling the sheets of tin-foil and paper and having a rounded lower end portion adapted to conform to the contour of the curved notch, said tab projecting past the edge of said sheets and being adapted for bending and posi- 

